Maryann

Maryann Turner
23 August 1934 - 17 July 2012

On Tueday our family lost one of our matriachs. My Great Aunt Maryann passed away in London. She had suffered from a heart problem (I'm sketchy on the medical details) over the last few months that finally took her life as quickly as it surfaced.

Maryann had visited us here in New Zealand in February as she did every three or so years. While she was a strong minded British woman that wasn't afraid to speak her mind and ruffle everyones feathers, she was loved.

In her London Flat. 2008

Maryann was an actress and a free spirit. She had no children of her own and lived her life in her roomy flat in London and the small cottage in Mundford, Norfolk. Four years ago I went to England and spent several nights with Maryann in Mundford. I was finally able to spend some time in the village my gran grew up in and in the cottage that I'd grown up seeing pictures of.

The Cottage. Mundford, Norfolk.

The Apple Tree in the backyard.

 

The backyard.

The path to the field.

I was amazed at the field at the bottom of the garden. A large plot of land that is owned by many families in the area. Maryann owned a large section of it that she had used for several things. A large section of it was used as a vegetable plot by Maryann and several local friends. The local boy scouts had their club rooms on the field too. The field is not excessible by car and therefore will never be good for developers or used to build on.

Collecting vegetable from her vege patch in the field.

So what does one do with a large plot of land in the middle of the English countryside. It's being gifted to the local church who I'm sure will continue to use it in the manner that is currently being used. It had become a family tradition that should one find themselves in the english countryside one must Frolick in the Field. Because really, what else do you DO with a field?

I frolicked in the field. August 2008

Mum, Morgan and I have all frolicked in the field and all have similar photos. My sister Lee mentioned her sadness at the prospect of now never having the chance to frolick in the field. However I'm fairly confident that should any of Maryann descendants ever find themselves in the English countryside, they merely need to knock on the neighbours door, introduce themselves and visit the field. Of course once there, you must frolick. It's tradition after all.

Morgan frolicks in the field. December 2008

Maryann ruffled feathers and disapproved of many of our 'kiwi' ways. She wouldn't travel half way round the world for funerals or for weddings, but she would come to spend a few weeks every few years. She met her great-great-nephew and she was generous with her money.

She was an actress in many British shows and had more work after she retired than before. Most of my friends know her only from a one-off appearance in 'Little Britian' as one of the old frog ladies. She was in Kingdom with Stephen Fry and she appeared in shows such as The Bill, Doc.Martin and many others. I can't remember the amount of times that we would get a call to say she was in an episode of some show and we had to watch. We would, only to have to watch the next episode because it was actually that episode. I remember watching an entire miniseries that was completely horrific because she was in the first episode as the Grandmother going away on holiday, then the entire drama was about the horrible things that happened while she was away. Then in the last episode she came home at the very end, with open arms getting off the plane. That's how I saw her most times she came to visit us in New Zealand!

Maryann always had a pet budgie named George. She had George when she was 4 years old and after that she always had a George. She would teach them to talk and to sit on her shoulder or knee. Some flew away and some died. Some were around for years and some weren't. One was returned for being a girl (the girls don't talk). There was no George the 13th, just George the one after the 12th. George the 16th died a week before Maryann. While enjoying a cup of tea with George perched on the rim, Maryann left the room, only to return to find him head down, drowned in the tea. It's ok to laugh, I sure did.

The cottage in Norfolk and the London apartment were owned by my great-grandparents and now they will be sold. The furniture sold or donated, the field gifted to the local church and her photographs, jewellary and precious belongings shipped down under. And just like that our small family will no longer have any roots in England. And that's ok, we're kiwis after all.

The thing I'll miss the most is her cheeky little smile and her hands on my face as she gave me a hug. I hope she finds the peace and happiness she deserves, wherever her she is now.